Hanoi city to Sapa Train
Hanoi to Sapa transfer by train test
When you want to get from Hanoi to Sapa, you have a few options to consider. Traveling between these destinations is possible by different means of transport:
- Train
If you’re looking for a quick trip, it’s recommended that you use Hanoi Sapa private car. However, if you’d rather take your time with a slower, more affordable travel option, you can book a Train ticket to Lao Cai then take a taxi to Sapa.
The cost of travel will depend on the means of transport you choose for your trip. A private car is the most expensive option - it will cost you about VND 3,600,000 (USD 152). If you want to save on transportation, it’s better to take a sleeping bus as a Hanoi Sapa bus ticket costs as low as VND 250,000 (USD 11)
How long does it take to get from Hanoi to Sapa?
The travel time from Hanoi to Sapa can vary depending on the mode of transportation you choose. All things considered, the whole journey should take from 4 to 10 hours.
- Bus: around 5.5 - 6 hours
- Train: around 8 hours, also train just take you to Lao Cai which 45 km away from Sapa.
- Limousine Van: about 5.5 hours with 2 breaks on the way
- Private car: about 4.5 - 5 hours
How much does it cost to get from Hanoi to Sapa?
The cost of the trip from Hanoi to Sapa varies according to what means of transport you choose for your journey. The most affordable operator is Vietnam Railways (Đường sắt Việt Nam): travelling by train expect to pay as low as VND 141,000 for your ticket.
However, if you’re after more upscale travel . The most expensive variant is to opt for a private - a one-way taxi ticket can cost as much as VND 3,600,000.
Here is a chart of the average ticket prices and transportation options available from Hanoi to Sapa:
- Train tickets: USD 19 - USD 100;
- Sleeping Bus tickets: US10;
- Van price : USD 15 - USD 20 (depend you seat location on the van)
- Train & taxi price: VND 1,540,010 - VND 2,420,010. From Hanoi to Sapa starting from 21:35 Hanoi until 22:00 Hanoi
You can order a taxi, too - an estimated cost of the ride is from USD 152 to USD 190 depend on which type of vehicle and what time for pick up.
How many trips per day are there between Hanoi and Sapa?
Depending on your choice of transportation, the number of daily trips varies.
- Vans from Hanoi to Sapa depart during the day - there are approximately 2 departures a day: 7 AM and 3 PM
- 6 by train+taxi from Hanoi to Sapa starting from 21:35 Hanoi until 22:00 Hanoi
- 2 by taxi+train from Hanoi to Sapa starting from 21:35 Hanoi until 22:00 Hanoi
- Buses start plying the route from 7:00 - you can also take a bus as late as 22:00. There are 3 available bus trips every day.
- Trains always run on a set schedule - there are 2 trains per day.
Taxis are a good option to consider for this route, too. Book a cab to take you from Hanoi to Sapa any time of the day.
Which means of transport is the best for the route?
Buses
Taking a bus from Hanoi to Sapa is cheaper than flying. Quite often, a long-distance bus is the cheapest transportation option. Buses normally make bathroom and/or lunch stops along the way.
Things to remember before opting for a bus ride:
- If possible, make sure to choose higher-class buses for a more comfortable travel experience. Such buses often have an air conditioning system, soft reclining seats, Wi-Fi, bathrooms, etc.
- As with plane tickets, buses are better booked in advance so that you can secure a good seat.
- While booking a bus, keep in mind that delays are possible. Yet it still pays to get to the bus station at least 15 minutes prior to the scheduled departure.
Taxi
Catching a cab is the easiest way to get from Hanoi to Sapa. It allows you to tailor-make your trip, plan all the detours and see all the places you want. You can choose the type and the size of your car as well to be as comfortable as you'd like to.
Depending on the route, it might cost as much as VND 3,000,000.
Things to remember: It's a good idea to follow the route on Google Maps or any other GPS navigator.
Trains
Things to remember while choosing a train ticket:
Consider everything carefully while choosing the class of your train travel. In most cases, the second class is comfortable enough – it features 2 or 4 berths in each compartment and is often air-conditioned.
If you’re in for a premium experience, consider getting a first class ticket. The price of first class tickets may include Wifi, and a choice of snacks and drinks.
Vans
A shared van is another means of transport for traveling from Hanoi to Sapa. As far as travel time is concerned, it’s basically equal to a taxi ride, while price-wise it’s way more affordable. The majority of tourists book a van online in advance.
Sometimes, when trains or buses aren’t available, a van is your only way to get from Hanoi to Sapa.
Things to remember: while traveling by van, you might not have as much space for luggage as you would on a train or a plane. It’s a good idea to pack only the most useful things for a van trip and put them in a backpack that will be easy to carry around.
The most popular transport from Hanoi to Sapa
How to choose the most convenient way of travel from Hanoi to Sapa? In order to make your choice of transportation easier, we asked 1000 users to range their preferences for this route. Here are the results of the poll:
- 43% users enjoyed a train ride.
- 16% decided to go for a bus.
- 16% opted for a van.
- 14% decided to catch a taxi.
- 6% chosen taxi+train
- 5% chosen train+taxi
Hanoi city to Sapa Train review
Deciding which private carriage to go with on your overnight trip to SAPA can be difficult. We booked and paid for our passage at the office in Hanoi, which was an easy process. Having traveled with ET -Pumpkin I can only comment on this one and other carriages on the same train. All seemed to be very similar in comfort. We paid for a VIP 2 berth soft sleeper, which I figured meant that the top bunks were folded back so that we had more room, and that the mattresses from those bunks were transferred to our bunks. The result was indeed comfortable. I think perhaps if you paid half the price for two bunks in a 4 berth you may well get virtually the same thing, but we wanted to be sure we had the cabin to ourselves. As it was, the carriage was by no means full, and the attendants locked any unused cabins. Bedding was clean and monogrammed. We had two warm blankets and pillows each. The cabin was cosy (all carriages are the same in lay-out) with wood paneling. There was A/C (good), power and lights but not much else. At the end of the carriage there is a small wash room (which unfortunately did not have soap in the dispenser) and separate small toilet. Lots of fun getting that task accomplished with the train bouncing around. Not permitted to use toilet when train stationary-guess why. There is no "dining carriage" but someone came through with snacks and drinks before we departed and I think she remained on the train. You can pass between the carriages as much as you want. It can be quite a social experience if you want that. Our carriage had at least one "attendant". They sleep in a very confined multi-purpose room at the end of the carriage, although we saw him curled up on an unused passenger bunk-would be much more comfortable. I slept very well on the way up. The train itself rocked around a lot but every carriage would have the same experience no matter how much you paid. Pumpkin will arrange for you to be picked up at Loa Cai in the early morning and taken to you hotel in Sapa (about an hour on a winding mountain road with a lot of trucks and crazy drivers). We even got free transport from out hotel at Hanoi to the train station. There is not much to see from the train at night, and in fact the trip is over before you know it. I would recommend ET-Pumpkin for a fun and comfortable overnight train experience to Lao Cai (SAPA).
TIP: Beware of locals offering transport to SAPA for huge amounts of money. Ensure that all pick-ups (from train and hotel) are confirmed and that someone will be waiting (with your name on a sign) at Lao Cai station for transport to SAPA. ET Pumpkin office at Lao Cai is to your right, once outside the Lao Cai station (inside a cafe) if you need help.
Hanoi to Lao Cia night train . Leave at 9.20 pm , we booked a 2 berth cabin , no sharing with strangers . 2 bunk beds , pillows and blanket . Bed side table with a cold beer and coke , bananas , biscuits and nuts are a nice touch . Hot coffee and tea arrive as we depart . Great views of Hanoi as we slowly leave the city . Sleep well as we rattle and sway through the night . Shortly before we arrive in Lao Cia there is a knock on the door and coffee and breakfast bars delivered . The train was way better than the return trip by road .
We booked the VIP version, two bed cabin. It was reasonably clean. We did not see any bugs or vermin. Toilettes were ok. We did get some sleep. The train was very punctual both times. The train took 7.5 hours from Hanoi to La Coi. The employees in the train sell you staff that is actually free. I paid for the tee anyway because these people are very poor and it is very little they charge.
When you arrive at La Coi station, there are lots of Minibuses that take you to Sa Pa for small money. This takes about one hour. The drivers already wait in front of the train. It is safe to go with them, no scam.
Booked the cabin with 4 beds. Journey was about 8 hours. Experience was pretty good, and slept quite well. The beds were reasonably clean and comfortable. Free mineral water, snacks, toothpaste and toothbrush were provided. But would suggest to try not to use the toilets if possible.
Overall good experience, train timing was punctual. Overnight train a good way to get from Hanoi to Sapa.
ok, so it's not luxurious, but comfortable. weird sharing a room with two French folks that didn't speak English, but they were nice. bathroom serviceable, but not too fancy. ride was bumpy, but mysterious. a genuine experience. cool to walk in the train hall way at night and look out an open window
We booked directly online. Everything went smoothly. We were upgraded from superior to deluxe cabin that sleeps 4 people. So we had to share with another couple, which was fine because we all slept the whole way. There was free water or beer, bananas, chips, and free WiFi. The beds were very clean and even the bathroom were not that bad. It is an excellent way to go to Sapa and you save one nights hotel bill while traveling. If you get motion sickness be warned this train goes up and down and sways side to side, all at the same time, it is quite bumpy and noisy. Not to mention it makes a lot of stops along the way. Earplugs and Dramamine might help.
We were treated like special guests throughout our trips. We were a group of four adults and the room was small but comfortable. The ride was as smooth as a train ride can be. The bunks were comfortable and the room was air conditioned so even the top bunks were cool. The bathroom was clean and very nice. We were greeted with refreshments in the morning before leaving the train. Would recommend to take a ride.
We travelled from Hanoi to Lao Cai railway station on the Victoria Express. You then get transporting Sapa via mini buses about an hour away
Check was pretty painless, they have a lounge at the station and you luggage is taken for you to the lounge.
You get tea and a seat. There is a mini supermarket in the station downstairs to buy anything you need for the journey, prices in the lounge itself are high
You get help to take you luggage to the train, they seen to call you in small groups to board
You take all you luggage to your cabin. So can be a squeeze if it doesn’t fit under your bed.
We had a 4 berth cabin for the two of us, it was okay. We use the spare duvets to lay on and the bed although a bit narrow was fine
There is no restaurant car, there are two toilets which are clean and have hot & cold waterstaff onboard are friendly & helpful
There is a power socket in the cabin to charge phones etc. & the WiFi worked well although did struggle with FaceTime
You get two bottles of water, some people got fruit.
The train departs at 22:00 and does shake about and is noisy but I slept on & off okay.
They wake you at 05:30 with coffee or tea and a small croissant and you arrive at 06:00
Disembarking in easy & orderly
I enjoyed the journey
We booked the VIP 2 berth cabin and the trip was nice. It is nicer than we thought or read from the other reviews. The cabin was clean and we had some freebies to enjoy during the trip. Staff are friendly and in good mood. We were warned not to take the morning coffee from the lady but we did and paid for it since it is just a small amount and she is quite polite and friendly. Highly recommend this train to everyone!
Bed, pillow and blanket are comfortable. Snack,drink and banana are given. The toilet is surprisingly clean. We are a team of six and we took two cabins. The young ones enjoyed the double deckers. We old folks enjoy the two bed cabin though its more pricey.
I was pleased we booked the double cabin, as the 4-berths looked pretty cramped if fully loaded. Of course, you can take the risk of booking the 4-berth and having the cabin to yourself, and in late-April this would have been a reasonable gamble.
Our cabin was understandably compact but comfortable and intimate. The beds were firm and a good night’s sleep will elude most travellers. It’s important to note that while the carriages are allocated to the Victoria, they are still part of the same train that pulls the cheaper options, and it can be a bumpy ride at times.
There are two bathrooms in each carriage – one slightly larger than the other. Both are well maintained and equipped – much better than I expected.
Staff were excellent and the Victoria does look after you. In Hanoi we were guided (our guide) to a comfortable lounge across the road from the station where drinks and snacks were available. When the train was ready to leave we were ushered to the correct carriages. Our luggage was taken care of by staff. Make sure you use this service if you travel with the Victoria. Don’t go directly to the station.
Supper in the dining carriage was great fun. There’s a compact but very pleasant range of hot and cold nibbles, with local beers, spirits, and good wine. You can opt for a pre-arranged dinner which we did not - the train departs quite late in the evening and we decided to eat beforehand. Some other guests obviously took up the option, but they looked far less relaxed than us!
The Victoria Express train is the expensive option if travelling by train to Sapa, but is a great experience and a worthwhile indulgence.
What a great way to travel. Our taxi dropped us at the wrong train station, but Chapa were great and got us to the train. We had a 4 berth deluxe that I booked online. We got water, soft drink, chips, nuts, toothbrush, comb, face wipe and ear plugs. The top bunks had better air conditioning but it was very comfortable, there was wifi and we took portable fans that you charge which was perfect for the bottom bunks. Loved the rocking of the train, easy to fall asleep.
The private Chapa lounge on the station at the end was very disappointing. I enquired before I left about a shower and breakfast and they said yes all free, when we got there nothing was opened so we ended up going straight to our hotel and paying extra to get an early check in which worked out better.
Highly recommend travelling with this company. The train has many carriages all owned by different companies, we were very happy with Chapa.
We book Private Deluxe on from Hanoi to Lao Cai and VIP from Lao Cai to Hanoi. The experience was nice. The beds were comfortable and the room was clean. We could store our luggage below the bed. Water bottles provided. We were okay with the rumbling of the train while it is making its way on the track - we slept soundly. The toilet was near and clean.
However, on our way back the tea lady asked us to pay 50,000 dong for what is supposed to be a free coffee or tea included in our VIP package. We didn't pay and she relented and gave us our coffee and tea for free. She didn't provide us with towels.
Prior to my trip, i had read many negative reviews about this Train service so, it's an understatement to say i was really nervous. To my surprise, my cabin shared with 3 other strangers was pretty pleasant - the cabin was pretty clean and we saw no roaches. However, the cleanliness of the sheets is questionable as mine had a smell (travel with a sleeping bag liner) The AC was directly above our heads on the top bunk so, being frozen the entire night was very unpleasant. The public toilet was smelly but, if you're an Asian living in Asia like myself, it isn't anything too terrible, lol. The train left and arrived on good time. Hot drinks are available first thing in the morning, if you are ready to pay (20k per cup). Overall, the entire experience was much, much better than anticipated. I was lucky.
The train itself was lovely, cosey and clean. But the organisation for the two women at Chapa Express was an utter shambles!!!
First of all the one woman purposely waited till 9pm before she would give anyone a ticket,by which point there was a huge 'crowd'. There was no queing system in place and the two women would just wonder off mid way through speaking to you and ask another person to follow them. I witnessed one man be given four tickets, randomly, another man moan so the women took the tickets off the first guy and gave them to the second one instead. The tickets had not been pre allocated to people it seemed. And it didn't matter what your booking reference was.
At 9.45 myself and another guy were finally listened to. By that point, each of us still wanting our two tickets, they said there was only two remaining tickets?
The lady frantically flapped around and found two tickets with another company so no one was left behind.
It just leaves a sour taste on a journey that turned out ok in the end. All of this could have been avoided if the woman was not such a jobs worth initially and if she had actually done her job in the first place and allocated each booking their tickets to just be handed over on the day.
On arrival from Ninh Binh via train, we took the Chapa express to Sapa and was pleasantly surprised that it was clean, comfortable ride.
Please note that to take the night train to Sapa, you’d have to walk about 10 minutes to the gate from Hanoi station. Gate is actually situated behind the main station, try google to find directions.
Coming back to the cabin, the ride was a little noisy and shaky but we had a good night rest. Toilets were surprisingly clean and without smell of ammonia as some claimed. And compared to the Victoria express, which we took on our return leg to Hanoi, Chapa’s cabin was way more comfortable, bunks were a little wider and longer. To those that are undecided, I’d say choose Chapa express. You won’t regret saving that extra dollar that Victoria charges.
We did two trips with this company, overnight to and from Sapa to Hanoi.
Both times we booked the VIP 2 berth sleeper cabin. This is a more costly option (US$170) but provides privacy and a bit more comfort.
The cabin was nicely set up and lovely and quiet.
Complimentary water, refreshing wipes and cookies as well as a drink on departure.
As expected the train is noisy and there is a lot of motion but we slept surprisingly well.
Staff were friendly and helpful.
Added benefits of booking directly with the company (one way we did one way we didn't).
- shuttle to hotel
- complimentary ear plugs
- much more attentive service.
over all a practical, safe and manageable way to travel.
We travelled in a 4 berth cabin on the King Express From Hanoi to Sapa. The rooms are very small so take as little luggage as possible. We left three bags in our hotel at Hanoi and just took what we needed in one bag on the train to save space. Mattresses are pretty hard and not very wide but we managed to get some sleep. Husband suffered motion sickness - it can get pretty rocky. Trip back to Sapa was better as we knew what to expect. A very basic journey but good if you would prefer to travel overnight.
Not sure why there are so many mixed reviews on these overnight trains to Sapa, but my family had a wonderful time on Chapa Express. We were with two other families, for a total of 13 people. Each family was traveling with small children and we all had our own cabin with 4 beds in each cabin. The cabins were clean, the beds adequate, service was good, and the overall ride was not as bumpy as others have said.
Would I do it again? Absolutely! It's a great way to get from Hanoi to Sapa without having to take a bus. The only benefit of taking a bus is you can go directly to your hotel in Sapa versus having to take a van from the train station. The trip from the station to our hotel took approximately 45 min. Other than that, I would highly recommend Chapa Express!